Future imperfect
by jin0uga
Summary: People and feelings change, even if you don't want them to. Past!Whiterose. Oneshot.


_'Oh,'_ Weiss thinks, eyes drifting from Ruby's face to her corded arm muscles, _'She really has grown.'_

She doesn't know what to expect after receiving news of Ruby's triumph. None of the team bar Ruby and Yang have met since Beacon's destruction – it's been nearly four years since. Weiss can't resist the impulse and invites them to Atlas, where she's been fighting the war against Grimm from her ivory tower.

Weiss leans back into the plush cushions and brings the glass to her mouth. She takes a small sip, only realising her mistake when the wine refuses to go down.

Yang clears her throat. "Team RWBY, together at last, huh?" Her attempt at lightening the mood falls flat. Blake resuscitates it with an eye roll, molten amber eyes darting between their faces like when they'd first met at initiation.

"I suppose trying to cull the White Fang while battling against an army of unending monsters, tend to make meet-ups difficult." Ruby grins at Blake's words, and Weiss notices how…weak it is, compared to the blinding ones she'd give when they were still huntresses in training.

It's slightly unsettling, Weiss thinks. The image of the past and present are colliding and they don't quite fit together.

"Your wit astounds me, Blake." Weiss replies, before proceeding to direct the conversation elsewhere. They settle on safe topics like the passing of recent Faunus rights bills, Nora and Ren's marriage, and soon decide on what to have for lunch. As the maids set their meals in front of them, Ruby opens up about what she'd been doing the past four years.

Naturally, Weiss and Blake go rigid with attention, while Yang lets the bits and pieces wash over her as she digs into her food. The _squelch_ of meat meeting gravy makes Weiss' eye twitch but she ignores it in favour of listening to her partner – ex partner, she reminds herself – ramble about the types of Elder Grimm they'd ran across during team RNJR's travels across Remnant.

Ruby falters when her uncle's name comes up, but she batters the sadness out of her eyes with frightening ease.

Overall, conversation is polite, if a little stilted. Blake and Yang leave after lunch, and Weiss invites Ruby for a walk in the gardens. The cloaked huntress hesitates for a moment. Then she accepts the offer with a faint shrug, and together they walk, shoulder to shoulder, deeper into the estate.

* * *

Ruby's taller now. Even in heels, the difference in height is obvious. Weiss has grudgingly accepted she's the shortest among them, but it rankles that she needs to look up to meet the eyes of her once partner

They talk about nothing in particular, occasionally stopping to admire the blooming flowers which flood the garden. Walking alone like this isn't new to them. Memories of their short year at Beacon rushed unbidden to Weiss's mind, the dam broken when she breathed Ruby's overwhelming scent of crushed rose petals and cinnamon.

 _"Hey, Weiss."_

 _"What?" She looks up from her book, nose scrunched in slight irritation. Her eyes soften the vulnerable glimmer in Ruby's eyes. She shuts the book and asks, "Is something bothering you?"_

 _"No, it's just…" Ruby smiles, the expression captivating. "I'm really happy."_

 _Weiss feels heat creep up her neck at the adoration in those words. The utter sincerity of her tone makes her heart race and her chest tight. The sunlight is warm on their faces, the distant chatter of students overridden by rustling grass and bird calls._

 _"Me too, Ruby." Weiss admits, pressing a kiss to her girlfriend's cheek. "Me too."_

Ruby stops next to a particularly large flower. "Hey, has your father given up on trying to…you know." Her gaze sharpens, and it's not a woman standing in front of Weiss but a battle-hardened warrior who has braved tides of unending Grimm when hope was a distant, fleeting dream in a world where justice was only a word.

"No." Weiss's smile is bitter. "But it won't be long before he turns his attention to my brother. It'll be hard to coerce the person who's responsible for keeping the dust market from imploding while we were at war with the Grimm."

The unsaid words linger between them. Ruby follows up with a simple hum, and Weiss is surprised by the lack of longing that wracked her in the first two years of their separation.

It is replaced instead, by a spark of relief, and a flash of disappointment. The emotions are subtle and don't rob her of sense, unlike the tearing agony she'd felt while watching Ruby race up the side of the tower, only able to _hopepleadcrywish_ that she would be safe.

They aren't children anymore. Weiss is reminded of this as they return to the foyer, their shoulders a width apart. Her heels no longer bite into her feet. Myrtenaster hasn't seen the light of day since she took up the mantle to the Schnee name, supporting Remnant in the only way she could in her father's palm.

"Where are you heading after this?" Ruby retrieves her weapon from Klein, thanking him with a dip of her head.

"Probably back to Mistral. There's no Grimm left to slay, but plenty of people had their homes destroyed. Rebuilding stuff is what I'm good at, so I'll help where I can!"

Weiss feels her chest fill with something akin to pride and takes Ruby's hand.

"You're always welcome here."

Ruby looks surprised, but it melts into a happy smile.

Weiss recognizes this one. She's seen it over a dozen times, all directed at her. Her chest doesn't flutter, but her smiles grows just a little wider. Ruby pitches forward and wraps her in a tight hug, which she returns it with equal fervour. She's missed this.

"I'll write to you. And if you ever find yourself in Patch, you should drop by for a visit! Don't be a stranger, kay, Weiss?

"Okay," Weiss says, smoothing the wrinkles on her dress, "See you soon, Ruby."

* * *

 _I was reading angsty whiterose fics and look what happened. This probably falls more in line with reality, if anything. It might not always be the case, but people do change. It's not exactly a happy ending, but hey, anything can happen, yeah?_

 _Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think._


End file.
